Jump to content
American Road Magazine
Celebrating our two-lane highways of yesteryear…And the joys of driving them today!

Middlegate Shoe Tree Now


Recommended Posts

I drove by the Middlegate Shoe Tree yesterday on my way to a central Nevada hot springs. Not much left of the old tree, I like the question on it. Looks like they wanted firewood.

 

ShoeTree002.jpg

 

The new shoe tree looks like it has lots of blossoms on it.

 

ShoeTree005-1.jpg

 

Another view of it.

 

ShoeTree008-1.jpg

 

Dale S

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dale,

 

Thanks for the update! I infer from your photos that a "new" shoe tree has sprung up, and is already blossoming! Terrific!

 

I didn't notice the WHY at first on the old trunk. Not to pontificate, but I used to wonder WHY myself,as regards vandalism. I concluded that folks who are unhappy with life and feel they don't fit, have to destroy what others enjoy, sort of to get even for being rejects. At least that explained to my simple mind what appears to otherwise be just pointless and mean spirited.

 

Enough! The shoe tree lives again!

 

Thanks!!

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah Dave, you can't keep a good shoe tree down. The joy of the Shoe Tree, down the road is the International Cafe. They still have the half pound burgers, too much for me. Plus you get a free ink pen.

 

Pen005.jpg

 

DaleS

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dale,

 

A half pound of beef and a pen....does it get any better? Do they still use the heavy wooden tables and serve up the ketchup in red squeeze bottles....is they any better way....no shaking and pounding a slow pouring glass bottle!

 

Is the Lincoln Motel still operating across the street from the International?

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The wooden tables are still here, with the lazy Susan in the center with stuff. I will have to look again, I think ketchup is in Hunt upside down plastic bottles. Gives me an excuse for another lunch there. Had lunch at the Toiyabe Cafe yesterday and that was a mistake.

 

The Lincoln Motel is still alive and well.

 

The smoke from the Yosemite fires has got here this morning. I am at the hot springs 20 miles east of Austin, went to town this morning and you couldn't see the valley from Austin.

 

Dale S

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is the Lincoln Motel still operating across the street from the International?

 

And if they are still operating have they done anything to upgrade the rooms? When I stayed there on my '07 trip our room was very nostalgic. The mattresses were old, carpets were old, one channel on the TV, floor felt like a trampoline,everything about the room reminded you of a time before numbered highways. I slept in my sleeping bag and we got an early start the next morning.

 

Roadhound

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dale, Rick,

 

Your descriptions fit my memory to a T!

 

I never stayed at the Lincoln, and I'm sorry to hear that it wasn't up to snuff. It may well have improved since 2007. I note in the most recent review that a new manager has really improved the place a lot.

 

I have added two panoramas below. The first is of the International and the Lincoln, looking down Austin's main street (the Lincoln Highway) 10 years ago almost to the day (9/3/2003). The second deserves attention because it is a classic view of the interior of the International.

 

I draw your attention to a few details. The pay phone on the wall, the malted milk mixer behind the counter, the “fine art” on the far wall, the calendar on the same wall, the cracker basket and the free reading material on each table and at the counter, the pull tab dispenser on the far left, the red spin stools at the counter, the lazy susan on the table, and of course, my red squeeze ketchup bottle on the table.

 

Who can spot additional classic symbols of the old time diner? (You can double click on the image to get a better squint.)

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

 

ARAustin.jpg

 

ARInternational.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

MGA707,

 

Right!!! Where are my Rice Crispies at "Nationwide Restaurant?" I recall that box that could be opened in the middle, and the milk poured in, with a wax paper lining of course. Great.

 

Now what about the red plastic water glasses stacked beside the malt machine?! The rims and sides were typically worn from repeated washing.

 

I love the International! It has been on the Lincoln forever. It is a must stop. If Dale is hanging out nearby, maybe he can take a "now" photo.

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Dave, I am hanging around and just happened to take an updated photo of inside the International Café this afternoon. The pay phone and the squeeze bottle ketchup is gone. Lazy Susan on the cable reel tables are still there. Where you took your photo is now a table for 8 persons, so I am in the table next to it. The self serve box has water and cokes in it, makes more money than a pay phone now days with cell phones.

 

InternationalCafe.jpg

 

Dale

Edited by DaleS
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is like one of those "how many differences can you spot" pictures!

1) W. C. Fields has replaced the rearing stallion on the wall.

2) Both the stools at the counter and the table chairs have been replaced. The stools appear to be more deeply padded now.

3) The green drink mixer is either now gone or has been relocated to a spot out of the picture.

4) Not only is the pay phone gone but the bulletin board as well.

Others?

Edited by mga707
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dale,

 

Your “Now” shot was taken 10 years to the day after my “Then” shot. Nice work! MGA707 spotted many of the changes. I sort of mused over the differences that have occurred in only 10 years.

 

Pay phones have disappeared everywhere. I don't miss them. If they weren't cleaned regularly the dial (or later the keys) and the handset were sticky. But did you ever pass one without checking the coin return?

 

And it has been a while since I have seen a green milk shake mixer.....those had practically left the scene by the time of my “Then” shot. What was a staple of my youth, milk shakes and malts, are passe now. I doubt I ever had a burger without a milk shake when I was 16.

 

As I bet you know, they would mix the shake or malt in a big steel cup and pour it into a glass. When you finished the glass, you had a second serving in the frosted cup...just what a growing boy needed! A "good" shake was one too thick to suck through a straw.

 

Red stools at the counter were standard in the 1950's...so I hate to see those gone. Who my age never took a spin on one?

 

I guess I don't miss the red ketchup squeeze bottle. They usually looked dirty anyway, unless they were regularly washed, and many weren't. But why the WC Fields picture? Did he stop at the International?

 

No one noted the sugar dispenser with the screw on top.. Now it seems we use little paper packets. A few places still use the glass jar with the little door that flips up when the sugar comes out. The advantage of the glass jar was that you could pour the contents of the salt shaker into the sugar jar, and vice versa. I'm sure neither of us did that......but some of my friends did! :lol:

 

Next let's discuss typewriters and vinyl records! :rolleyes:

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Dave, what a gas 10 years to the day on those photos.

 

No one noted the sugar dispenser with the screw on top. Today they had a sugar dispenser with red chili flakes in it also

 

Dale

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And it has been a while since I have seen a green milk shake mixer.....those had practically left the scene by the time of my “Then” shot. What was a staple of my youth, milk shakes and malts, are passe now. I doubt I ever had a burger without a milk shake when I was 16.

No, shakes are still a big thing for some chains. Many of Sonic's ads center on their 28 shake flavors. And Culver's just had a Labor Day promo with $1 regular shakes on that day. I managed to stop in for two of them on Monday!

Next let's discuss typewriters and vinyl records! :rolleyes:

I've got one of the former--an Underwood from the 1920s--and many hundreds of the latter!

Edited by mga707
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Sorry I'm late for the meeting.

 

Regarding the Shoe Tree named in the thread's title, I believe the black bit on the tree trunk in Dale's second picture is a burn mark. Apparently someone with mental development equal to the chainsaw wielders has tried to set the living tree afire. It can be seen more clearly here.

 

Regarding the International Hotel, it looks like Dave's 2007 picture was taken about one seat away from where I had lunch July 10. I'll try to make up for somehow failing to get any pictures of the restaurant that day with a shot of the bar side

International Hotel, Austin, NV  - July 10, 2013

and some restaurant shots from 2009 and 2011

International Hotel, Austin, NV  - August 24, 2009

International Hotel, Austin, NV  - June 19, 2011

Looks like they put the covers on the stools and hung W.C. Fields soon after you left, Dave.
Regarding proposed topics, I have plenty of vinyl but not a single typewriter. And I'm kind of miffed about not getting a pen.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...